Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. A. The elaborate marriage customs of the elite encouraged spouses to remain at their family palace for several years after marriage. B. Rulers maintained multiple palaces for themselves and their spouses' families. C. Before the eighth century, it was common for the elite to form political alliances with their spouses' families at the native family headquarters for some years after marriage. D. Before the eighth century, the practice of forming alliances through marriage encouraged rulers to maintain palaces at their spouses' family homes as well as at their own.